Published: Monday, March 18, 2013 at 3:15 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 12:58 a.m.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — One of the best players from Spartanburg Methodist made it to the junior college national championship tournament with another team.

Of course, it was four years ago that Andrew Crawford from Mullins High School led SMC by averaging 16 points and 12 rebounds. And while the Pioneers this season have won all 32 of their games and achieved a No. 1 ranking in the country, Crawford has been coming off the bench for a USC Salkehatchie squad that finished tournament runner-up in the double-bid Region 10 to get a bottom seed in the 24-team NJCAA event.

The Indians, 15-18, were eliminated Monday afternoon in the second game of the tournament, 81-54, by Northwest Florida State at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.

In the crowd were the SMC players, most dressed in blue sweat suits, casually just killing time before a Monday afternoon practice and ultimately until a 1 p.m. Wednesday game in the second round. None of them know Crawford. Some weren't even on their high school varsity teams yet when he was leading the Pioneers.

“When I played there,” Crawford said, “we didn't even dream about being No. 1.”

Crawford, a former 2A player of the year at Mullins High School, was a freshman for SMC during the 2008-09 season. That was when former Pioneers head coach Rob Burke, now at The Citadel, had to kick four of the top players off the team. Three were local prep stars, Omar Sanders and Zycorrian Robinson from Spartanburg High School and Darrion Booker from Union County High School, and also Kimric Dixon from Florence.

Crawford was the biggest weapon left. But he didn't have the grades to come back for his sophomore season at SMC.

“When I was a freshman out of high school, I thought it was going to be easy,” Crawford said. “I was an athlete, so I thought they were just going to give it to me. I lost a great opportunity there. After that, I had to take some time off and get myself together. My mom told me I had to put my mind into it. So I cut out all childish behavior.”

Crawford went to USC Salkehatchie for a semester to get eligible, but then transferred to USC Sumter to play basketball. But the school cut the program. Desperate, he sent a private Facebook message to Salkehatchie assistant Maurice Simmons.

“I told him I needed somewhere to play,” Crawford said. “He said, ‘Why don't you come back here?' I got accepted and they welcomed me in. I didn't know anyone. There was only one guy who was in school when I was there. I had to get used to it.”

“When he came back,” USC Salkehatchie head coach Travis Garrett said, “he was very mature and focused.”

USC Salkehatchie played SMC tougher than any other team this season. The Pioneers, on the day they were officially crowned No. 1 in the country, had to go to overtime Jan. 24 in Walterboro for a 64-60 win. Crawford, as fate would have it, missed a shot at the regulation buzzer. Then in the Region 10 tournament championship game in the same gym, SMC won by a score of only 65-62.

USC Salkehatchie had a miserable start to its opening game Monday and part of that could be blamed on the 21-hour bus ride. The Indians had only three points in the first 11:40, yet trailed by only 10 at halftime. In the second half, Crawford finally caught fire and scored seven straight points for his team. But by then, the Indians were just too far behind.

By the time SMC finally takes the court on Wednesday, one of its former standout players should be nearing the end of a long and winding road that was his college basketball career.

<p>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — One of the best players from Spartanburg Methodist made it to the junior college national championship tournament with another team.</p><p>Of course, it was four years ago that Andrew Crawford from Mullins High School led SMC by averaging 16 points and 12 rebounds. And while the Pioneers this season have won all 32 of their games and achieved a No. 1 ranking in the country, Crawford has been coming off the bench for a USC Salkehatchie squad that finished tournament runner-up in the double-bid Region 10 to get a bottom seed in the 24-team NJCAA event.</p><p>The Indians, 15-18, were eliminated Monday afternoon in the second game of the tournament, 81-54, by Northwest Florida State at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.</p><p>In the crowd were the SMC players, most dressed in blue sweat suits, casually just killing time before a Monday afternoon practice and ultimately until a 1 p.m. Wednesday game in the second round. None of them know Crawford. Some weren't even on their high school varsity teams yet when he was leading the Pioneers.</p><p>“When I played there,” Crawford said, “we didn't even dream about being No. 1.”</p><p>Crawford, a former 2A player of the year at Mullins High School, was a freshman for SMC during the 2008-09 season. That was when former Pioneers head coach Rob Burke, now at The Citadel, had to kick four of the top players off the team. Three were local prep stars, Omar Sanders and Zycorrian Robinson from Spartanburg High School and Darrion Booker from Union County High School, and also Kimric Dixon from Florence.</p><p>Crawford was the biggest weapon left. But he didn't have the grades to come back for his sophomore season at SMC.</p><p>“When I was a freshman out of high school, I thought it was going to be easy,” Crawford said. “I was an athlete, so I thought they were just going to give it to me. I lost a great opportunity there. After that, I had to take some time off and get myself together. My mom told me I had to put my mind into it. So I cut out all childish behavior.”</p><p>Crawford went to USC Salkehatchie for a semester to get eligible, but then transferred to USC Sumter to play basketball. But the school cut the program. Desperate, he sent a private Facebook message to Salkehatchie assistant Maurice Simmons.</p><p>“I told him I needed somewhere to play,” Crawford said. “He said, 'Why don't you come back here?' I got accepted and they welcomed me in. I didn't know anyone. There was only one guy who was in school when I was there. I had to get used to it.”</p><p>“When he came back,” USC Salkehatchie head coach Travis Garrett said, “he was very mature and focused.”</p><p>USC Salkehatchie played SMC tougher than any other team this season. The Pioneers, on the day they were officially crowned No. 1 in the country, had to go to overtime Jan. 24 in Walterboro for a 64-60 win. Crawford, as fate would have it, missed a shot at the regulation buzzer. Then in the Region 10 tournament championship game in the same gym, SMC won by a score of only 65-62.</p><p>“SMC is very good,” Crawford said. “They've earned it. They got the job done.”</p><p>USC Salkehatchie had a miserable start to its opening game Monday and part of that could be blamed on the 21-hour bus ride. The Indians had only three points in the first 11:40, yet trailed by only 10 at halftime. In the second half, Crawford finally caught fire and scored seven straight points for his team. But by then, the Indians were just too far behind.</p><p>By the time SMC finally takes the court on Wednesday, one of its former standout players should be nearing the end of a long and winding road that was his college basketball career.</p>